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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(7)

Weed infestation of wheat fields by sheep grazing stubble in the Mediterranean semi-arid region

Iris Schoenbaum A C , J. Kigel A , D. Barkai B and S. Landau B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A The Robert H. Smith Institute for Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.

B Department of Natural Resources, ARO, the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.

C Corresponding author. Email: isi_shin@yahoo.com

Crop and Pasture Science 60(7) 675-683 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08283
Submitted: 25 August 2008  Accepted: 21 April 2009   Published: 14 July 2009

Abstract

Seasonal stubble grazing by sheep is a widespread practice in the Mediterranean basin. However, farmers frequently claim that turning the sheep from marginal lands to the wheat fields after grain harvest increases the risk of weed infestation because of potential weed seed dispersal. We tested this claim by: (1) examining the potential of seed dispersal by sheep from marginal land via faeces and fleece, and (2) evaluating effects of summer stubble grazing on the size and composition of the weed seedbank and weed vegetation. Analysis of seed density in faeces and fleece showed that the potential for infestation from marginal land by sheep was relatively high during late spring, but strongly decreased in mid-summer, when plants in the marginal land had already shed their seeds. The potential of weed transport by faeces was negligible, compared with the seedbank in the field, and little overlapping of species was found between them. Summer grazing by sheep in a no-tillage wheat field over 5 years enlarged the seedbank. This increase, however, was mainly due to the less competitive small-grass species that were not found in the faeces or in the fleece. Combined ploughing, crop rotation, and herbicide application strongly reduced the seedbank. These integrated management practices eliminated the effect of summer grazing on the seedbank.

Additional keywords: agro-pastoral systems, seedbank, seed dispersal, seed traits.


Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Yad HaNadiv (Grant no. 257–0196) and by the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Grant no. 257–0153). We are indebted to Buki Adiri and Dandan Bolotin for the use of their sheep flocks in this study.


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Appendix 1.  Data by weed species found in the faeces and fleece: main flowering period, total number of germinable seeds in faeces (per 490 g/animal.day, 2002 and 2003), and in fleece (per 100 cm2 skin, 2003), in all samples throughout the grazing season (May–August), plant height, dispersal unit size, and presence of morphological structures (MS) assisting dispersion
Plant height: 1, <20 cm; 2, 20–50 cm; 3, 50–80 cm; 4, >80 cm. Dispersal unit size: 1, <1 mm; 2, 1–2 mm; 3, 2–4 mm; 4, >4 mm. Types of morphological structures (MS): 0, smooth surface; 1, weakly coarse surface; 2, delicate hairs or bristles on surface; 3, stiff hairs or bristles, sticky appendages; 4, stiff hairs, bristles, and awns, with barbs, hooks, or glochidia
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